1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a curtain construction for a shower compartment or shower and tub combination. More specifically, a shower curtain and shower liner are secured together with hook and loop material.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ornamented or colorful shower curtains hanging from a rod by hooks are in some instances protected in the rear by a separate shower curtain liner to prevent the shower curtain from excessive accumulation of dirt and soap solutions on the rear surface of the shower curtain. Cleaning of the liner requires removal from the shower hooks which necessitates the reaching up and sometimes tearing the holes in the plastic liner for the hooks in the process.
This problem is eliminated entirely by the present invention, by attaching the liner without apertures to the apertured shower curtain by hook and loop material. The removal can consist of either the entire combination of curtain and liner from the hooks or just the liner from the shower curtain without excessive strain on the shower curtain holes held by the hooks.
The relative art of interest describes various means for attaching the shower curtains to a shower stall, but none describe the present ergonomic combination of a liner attached to the hanging shower curtain by hook and loop material.
The relevant art will be discussed in the order of perceived relevance to the present invention.
U.K. Patent Application No. 1,162,201 published on Aug. 20, 1969, for Joseph R. Wylde describes hook and loop means for attaching a curtain to a rail. An I-beam serves as a holder for a plastic U-shaped runner which may have rollers. An inch square woven fabric pieces with selvedges at its ends have an aperture at one end for hanging from a runner and a hook material on one side for attachment to the loop material configured as one or more strips or a plurality of squares secured to a curtain along with or on pleating strips. The modified curtains and rail may be used for hospitals where decoration of the curtain is unimportant. The hanging system of the publication is distinguished by its required one inch squares for attaching one curtain by hook and loop material. No liner sheet was suggested.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,109,912 issued on May 5, 1992, to Leonard Gary describes a drapery system employing a standard C-shaped drapery rack housing which holds a drapery carrier having a spool-shaped head portion supporting a flat plate portion having hook material on one side and loop material on the other side. These fastening aids will attach to hook or loop patches on the top rear edge of the drapery. The drapery may have pockets for inserting the drapery carriers. The drapery system is distinguishable for its reliance on separate drapery carriers of a specific configuration.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,495,628 issued on Mar. 5, 1996, to Kim Logan describes a shower curtain having a selectively raisable lower portion by utilizing several horizontal rows of hook or loop patches on a shower curtain and a shower curtain liner. The curtains are suspended from a horizontal rod by ring fasteners. The shower curtains are distinguishable for placing the hook and loop patches at different locations for a different purpose.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,615,461 issued on Apr. 1, 1997, to Yutaka Tominaga et al. describes a hanging device for a pleated curtain having separated patches of female or looped fasteners on its top rear edge which mate with a plurality of curtain hanging fasteners. A fastener comprises a rectangular plate-like base member with a top hook. The base member has a critical arrangement on one face of male or hook fasteners which are molded with the plastic base. The hooks are formed in three groups with the hooks directed either downward or outward to resist disengagement. The hanging device is hooked onto a curtain runner with rollers traversing a C-section curtain rail. The hanging device is distinguishable based on its critical arrangement of hooks on the base member and the requirement for looped material pieces on the curtain.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,586,595 issued on Dec. 24, 1996, to Toshiaki Takizawa et al. describes a curtain attachment connector comprising a fastener member similar to that of Tominaga et al. except for the arrangement of the hook elements arranged in rows, columns or in a scattered array with the hook ends up. This curtain attachment connector is distinguishable for its requirement of only hooks on the fastener member.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,228,149 issued on Jul. 20, 1993, to Alex J. Phinn, Jr. describes a fastening means and method for a shower curtain employing hook and loop material for fastening only the side edge of the curtain to the wall of the shower stall. A disposable rule is supplied for positioning of the patches of fastening material to the wall which are spaced closer than the patches on the shower curtain to obtain a tensioning effect. The fastening system is distinguished by its use for attaching a side of a shower curtain to a shower stall wall, and the absence of a suggestion for attaching shower liners as well.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,580 issued on Sep. 22, 1992, to Dean W. Dyckow describes a shower curtain sealing and fastening arrangement kit. A strip of hook or loop material is attached to one side edge of a shower curtain to mate with another strip of loop or hook material on the shower stall wall. A sealing protrusion strip is also provided to apparently clamp the edge of the shower curtain. This arrangement is distinguishable for attaching only a side of the shower curtain to the wall, and the absence of a suggestion for attaching shower liners.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,651,407 issued on Jul. 29, 1997, to Hilda M. Perez describes looped shower curtain fasteners utilizing hook and loop fastening dots to attach to the top edge of a shower curtain. The loops are strengthened with a plastic strip and can be decorative with eyelet fasteners for artificial flowers. The fasteners are distinguished by the critical use of loops.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,393 issued on Jun. 6, 1995, to Michael Wolfe describes a shower curtain edge stay by utilizing stiffened horizontal rib members disposed in the shower curtain adjacent to a lower vertical side edge and hook and loop tabs on the lower side edge to attach to a wall. Curtain magnets on the lower edge of the shower curtain are also employed to prevent inward curling. The curtain edge stay is distinguishable by its use of hook and loop material only on a lower edge of the shower curtain.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singularly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus, a hook and loop combined shower curtain and liner construction solving the aforementioned problems is desired.